Virtual Classroom
The Virtual Classroom tool allows you to communicate in real-time
with yourinstructor and class. It provides more tools than are found
in a Lightweight Chat session—you can draw on a whiteboard,
browse the web, and send questions to your instructor.
The Virtual Classroom requires a java-enabled version of Internet Explorer.
Netscape users can access the Accessible version of the Virtual Classroom—however,
some features are not available.
Note: You may not have access to all the tools
mentioned below—it depends how your instructor has configured
the Virtual Classroom.
Entering a Collaboration Session
From your course:
- Click the Collaboration link in the Course Tools box
on the left.
- Click the Join button to the right of the collaboration
session name.
Note: You will see a page that says “Chat
Loading.” Depending on your connection speed, it may take
a few minutes for everything necessary for the chat to download.
More Information
Q: How is the User Interface set up in the Virtual Classroom?
A: The Virtual Classroom window has four major panes. On the
upper left, you see a list of all the tools available in the Virtual Classroom
(the Course Map, the Whiteboard, the Group Browser, the Ask Question tool, and
the Question Inbox). On the upper right, you see the currently active tool.
On the lower right, you see all messages sent to the group. On the lower left,
you are shown a list of all users currently in the chat room.
Changing Your Viewing Options for Private Messages
You can set your chat window to display private messages either inline (with
the other messages you send and receive) or in a separate frame (which creates
a new pane in the Virtual Classroom window which contains only private messages).
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the View button.
- Select the radio button next to Show in-line or
Show in separate frame.
- Click the OK button.
Sending and Receiving Messages
In the Virtual Classroom, the lower left pane of the window is dedicated to
group information. The large pane toward the upper right is used to display
whichever tool you are currently using (e.g., Whiteboard, Group Browser). The
lower right pane is used to display messages and login information (and depending
on how you have configured your options (see the “Setting the View”
directions for more information) may include private messages as well. To send
a message:
From the Virtual Classroom:
- To send a message, click in the field just to the right of
the Compose button.
- Type your message and click the Send button (or press
return).
More Information
Q: Where are the group messages?
A: The lower right pane of the Virtual Classroom
window has all messages sent to the group. If you have just joined,
you should see a message saying that you have joined the session
(and a time stamp).
Q: How will I know when someone sends a message?
A: Messages that other users send will appear in the same pane
yours did.
Sending Longer Messages
You may occasionally wish to send a longer message than will fit in the compose
field. If you’d like to send a longer message, you can do it by using
the Compose button.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Compose button.
- When your message is complete, click the Send button.
More Information
Q: How do I know where to type my message?
A: A window labeled Compose Message will appear. You can type
your message here. While typing, pressing Enter or Return will insert line breaks;
however, these line breaks will not appear when the final message is sent.
Q: How will I know the message was sent?
A: The smaller window will close and your message will be sent
to the class.
Sending a Private Message
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click on the name (or User ID) of the participant you
wish to sent a private message to in the lower left pane. The user’s
name, role, and status should highlight in purple.
- Click the Private Message button.
- Click the Send button.
More Information
Q: I want to send a message/send a private message/use a course
tool, but those tools are grayed out! What’s up?
A: Your teacher may have turned off access to these tools for
all users, or set you as a Passive User. Contact your instructor to see how
they want you to use the Virtual Classroom tool.
Q: How can I send a Private Message to more than one person?
A: If you’d like to send a private message to two or
more users, you can shift-click or control-click on the names to select more
than one user.
Q: How will I know where to type the Private Message?
A: After clicking on the Private Message Button, a new window
labeled Compose Private Message will appear.
Q: Where will my message appear?
A: Your message will appear in your chat window (depending on how you’ve
set the options, it may appear inline or in a frame on the right) and in the
window of the user you’ve sent it to, but will not appear in any other
user’s chat window.
Clearing Your Display
You can clear out your record of previous chat messages (as well as clear the
screen for all your students).
From the Virtual Classroom, click on the Clear
button.
Viewing Participants
From the Virtual Classroom:
- The lower left pane will show you a list of all current participants in
the chat.
- The number of current participants appears at the top of the list (in
parentheses, after the word “Participants”).
- Users who have set their name to "publicly available"
in their Privacy Settings will have their first and last names
appear here. Users who have not set their name to "publicly
available" will have their user ID displayed.
- Next to each participant’s name, an icon displaying the user’s
role will be displayed:
a. The globe icon represents the Chat Moderator.
b. A face in profile represents Active Users.
c. A grayed out face represents Passive Users,
- To the right of the user role, there is a column for the Raised Hand
icon. If you have set users to Passive Users roles, they can raise their
hands to ask questions—for more information on this, see the directions
to Call on Users with Raised Hands.
Sorting the Participant List
You can sort participants by name, role, or order in which they raised their
hands (if you are using active and passive users).
From the Virtual Classroom:
- In the lower left pane, click on the criteria you wish to sort by:
- If you click on the Participants
tab, you will sort participants in alphabetical order by user name or
last name, depending on each user’s privacy settings (you only see
first and last names of users who have made that information available).
- Clicking on Role will sort users
by role (moderators, active users, and passive users).
- Clicking on the Hand icon will sort
users by whether they have their hand raised, and if they do, by the order
in which they raised their hands.
- Clicking on a Sort button again will reverse the order
of the sort.
Viewing User Info
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click on the name (or User ID) of the participant whose
info you wish to view. The user’s name, role, and status should highlight
in purple.
- Click the User Info button.
Using the Classroom Tools
The big difference between the Virtual Classroom and the Lightweight Chat Tool
is that the Virtual Classroom gives you access to the Classroom Tools, which
you can use to display web pages, draw on the board, display pages from your
course, &c. There are five Classroom Tools: Course Map, Whiteboard, Group
Browser, Ask Question, and the Question Inbox. You can tell which tool is currently
being displayed to users by looking at the Classroom Tools pane—the tool
with an arrow to the right of it is currently being seen by all users.
Using the Course Map
The Course Map tool lets you display pages from the content areas of your class
to all users in the collaboration session.
Displaying Content from your Course to Users
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Course Map button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click on folders to open them.
- Click on the content you wish to display. It should be
highlighted in purple.
- Select Display to Class in the drop-down menu.
- Click the Go button.
More Information
Q: Why can't the instructor display the test for our discussion?
A: The Course Map tool will not directly display files that
have been added as attachments, tests, or assignments. You can use the tool
to display the folder or area these things are in, but you must ask students
to click on the link from that folder.
Q: I recently put content in the course and I’d like
to display it to my classmates using the Course Map tool. However, the items
I’ve added do not appear in the Course Map.
A: Recently added items don’t appear unless you Refresh
the Tree on the Course Map. See the directions below.
Previewing Content from your Course in a New Window
If you’d like to see how different areas will look before displaying
them to the class, you can preview content.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Course Map button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click on folders to open them.
- Click on content. It should be highlighted in purple.
- In the Course Map area, select Preview in New Window
in the drop-down menu.
- Click the Go button.
Refreshing the Tree in the Course Map Area
Recently posted material may not show up in the Course Map area unless you
refresh the tree—this checks the course map against the actual course
content and updates it.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Course Map button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- In the Course Map area, select Refresh Tree in the drop-down
menu.
- Click the Go button.
Using the Whiteboard
The Whiteboard lets you draw, write, and create slides for your class.
Using the Drawing Tools
The Whiteboard features a simple version of the same drawing tools you find
in programs like Paint. There’s a Select tool to move objects around,
a Line tool to draw straight lines, a Marker tool to draw freehand, an Equation
tool to insert equations, a Rectangle tool to draw rectangles, an Oval tool
to draw ovals, and a Text tool to insert text. Below each tool are a number
of options—you can change colors, size, and font.
Drawing a Straight Line
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Line button (it looks like a diagonal
line) in the Tools tab.
More Information
Q: How can I choose a color or line width?
A: Set the color and thickness of the line in the drop-down
menus below the button. The Pen Color will determine the color of the line
(if you need a color not available in the drop-down menu, see directions
on Setting a Custom Color). The Line Width determines its thickness. The
other options are not used by the Line Tool.
Q: When I try to draw a line I get this rubber ban effect.
A: Move the mouse pointer to where (in the upper-right
frame) you want the line to begin. Press and hold the mouse button. Move
the mouse to the endpoint of the line. The line will appear. Release the
mouse button.
Freehand Drawing using the Marker Tool
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Marker button (it looks like a marker)
in the Tools tab.
More Information
Q: How can I choose a color or pen width?
A: Set the color and thickness of the pen in the drop-down
menus below the button. The Pen Color will determine the color (if you need
a color not available in the drop-down menu, see directions on Setting a
Custom Color). The Line Width determines its thickness. The other options
are not used by the Marker Tool.
Q: How do I use this tool to draw?
A: Hold the mouse button down to draw in the whiteboard
pane.
Inserting an Equation
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Equation button (it is a Sigma) in the
Tools tab.
- Click the Insert Equation button.
More Information
Q: How do I change the color and size of my equation?
A: Set the color and size of the equation in the drop-down
menus below the button. The Pen Color will determine the color of the equation
(if you need a color not available in the drop-down menu, see directions
on Setting a Custom Color). The Font Size will determine the size of the
equation. The other options are not used by the Equation tool.
Q: How can I place the equation on the Whiteboard?
A: Click the mouse where you’d like the equation
to begin. The Equation Editor window will appear.
Drawing a Rectangle
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Rectangle button (a drawing of a square)
in the Tools tab.
More Information
Q: How can I change the color of the rectangle?
A: Set the color of the rectangle in the drop-down menus
below the button. The Fill Color will determine the color of the rectangle
(if you need a color not available in the drop-down menu, see directions
on Setting a Custom Color). The other options are not used by the Rectangle
Tool.
Q: How can I draw the rectangle on the Whiteboard?
A: Click and hold the mouse button in the whiteboard area
to draw a rectangle. Release the mouse button to draw the rectangle.
Drawing an Oval
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Oval button (a drawing of a circle) in
the Tools tab.
More Information
Q: How can I change the color of the oval?
A: Set the color of the oval in the drop-down menus below
the button. The Fill Color will determine the color of the oval (if you
need a color not available in the drop-down menu, see directions on Setting
a Custom Color). The other options are not used by the Oval Tool.
Q: How do I draw the oval on the Whiteboard?
A: Click and hold the mouse button in the whiteboard area
to draw an oval. Release the mouse button to draw the oval.
Inserting Text
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Text button (an uppercase T) in the Tools
tab.
- Press the Insert button.
More Information
Q: How can I select the color, font and size of the text?
A: Select the pen color, font, and size for your text from
the drop-down menus below the button. The Pen Color will determine the color
of the text (if you need a color not available in the drop-down menu, see
directions on Setting a Custom Color). The Font will determine the font
used. The Font Size is the size of the letters in pixels. The other options
are not used by the Text tool.
Q: How do I place the text onto the Whiteboard?
A: Click the mouse button where you want the text to begin. Type
the text you wish to insert.
Setting a Custom Color
If you’d like to use a color that isn’t available on the dropdown
menu, you can select a custom color for either the Fill Color or the Pen Color.
You can do this by picking from a set of swatches, from a palette, setting
the hue, saturation, and brightness, or setting the red, green, and blue levels.
Setting a Custom Color using Swatches
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Select the Custom Color option in either the Fill
Color or Pen Color drop-down menu.
- Click on the color you would like from the series of
colored boxes that appear on the tab.
- Click the OK button.
Setting a Custom Color using the Palette
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Select the Custom Color option in either the Fill
Color or Pen Color drop-down menu.
- Click on the HSB tab.
- Click on the color you would like in the large box.
- Click the OK button.
Setting a Custom Color using Hue, Saturation, and Brightness
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Click on the HSB tab.
- Enter the Hue (from 0 to 255) in the H field (to the
right).
- Enter the Saturation (from 0 to 255) in the S field.
- Enter the Brightness (from 0 to 255) in the B field.
- Click the OK button.
Setting a Custom Color using Red, Green, and Blue Levels
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Click on the RGB tab.
a. Set the red level (from 0 to 255)
using the Red slider (or enter it in the corresponding text field).
b. Set the green level (from 0 to 255)
using the Green slider (or enter it in the corresponding text field).
c. Set the blue level (from 0 to 255)
using the Blue slider (or enter it in the corresponding text field).
- Click the OK button.
Using the Select Tool
The Select tool lets you move, rescale, delete, group, copy, cut, and paste
figures (lines, freehand drawings, text, equations, rectangles, and ovals).
Unlike the other Whiteboard tools, options for the Select tool are set using
the buttons directly above the Whiteboard, not the drop down menus on the tools
tab.
Selecting a Figure
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Click the Select button (a drawing of a mouse pointer)
on the tools tab.
- Click on the figure in the drawing area you’d
like to select. Eight boxes should appear along the outline of the object.
Selecting Multiple Figures
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Click the Select button (a drawing of a mouse pointer)
on the tools tab.
- Click on the first object in the drawing area you’d
like to select. Eight boxes should appear along the outline of the figure.
- Hold down the Shift key and click on the second figure
you’d like to select. Repeat until all figures are selected.
Selecting All Figures
You can quickly select all the figures on the whiteboard.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Click the Select All Figures button (it looks like
two cubes surrounded by a frame, and is directly above the Whiteboard
area).
Grouping Figures
You can group objects so that the whiteboard will treat them as one object.
In this way, you can easily copy and paste, move, and resize drawings made
up of many different lines, text, shapes, and equations.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select all the figures you want to group together
(see the directions for Selecting Multiple Figures
or Selecting All Figures above).
- Click the Group Figures button. It looks like three
large cubes, and is directly above the Whiteboard area.
More Information
Q: Why can't I resize my grouped figure?
A: A grouped figure that contains text, freehand drawings,
or equations cannot be resized.
Ungrouping Figures
If you have grouped figures but need to make changes to them individually,
you can ungroup them.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figures you want to ungroup (see the directions
for Selecting Figures above).
- Click the Ungroup Figures button. It looks like
three small cubes, and is directly above the Whiteboard area (to the
right of the Group Figures button).
Moving a Figure
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure you’d like to move (see the
instructions for Selecting Figures)
- Click and drag inside the figure to move it.
Resizing a Figure
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure you’d like to resize (see
the instructions for Selecting Figures)
- Click and drag on one of the eight boxes that surround
the object.
More Information
Q: I can't resize my object?
A: You can not resize objects (or grouped objects) that contain
text, freehand drawings, or equations. You must recreate these objects using
a different font size or redraw them.
Deleting a Figure or Figures
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure or figures you’d
like to delete (see the instructions for Selecting
Figures)
- Click the Delete Figure button (it looks like an
X and is directly above the Whiteboard area).
Cutting a Figure or Figures to the Clipboard
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure or figures you’d
like to cut and paste (see the instructions for Selecting
Figures)
- Click the Cut Figure button (it looks like a pair
of scissors and is directly above the Whiteboard area).
More Information
Q: When I Cut the figure, is it lost forever?
A: The figures will disappear. They are now on the clipboard and
may be pasted into another page of the Whiteboard. See the directions below
on Pasting a Figure or Figures from the Clipboard.
Copying a Figure or Figures to the Clipboard
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure or figures you’d
like to copy (see the instructions for Selecting Figures)
- Click the Copy Figure button (it looks like two
sheets of paper and is directly above the Whiteboard area).
More Information
Q: Where is the copied figure?
A: The figures are now on the clipboard and may be duplicated
on this page of the Whiteboard or pasted into another page of the Whiteboard.
See the directions below on Pasting a Figure or Figures from the Clipboard.
Pasting a Figure or Figures from the Clipboard
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Cut or copy the figure or figures
you’d like to paste (see the directions above on Cutting
a Figure or Figure to the Clipboard or Copying a
Figure or Figures to the Clipboard).
- Click the Paste button (it looks like a clipboard
and is directly above the Whiteboard area).
More Information
Q: How do I past the figure in a different Whiteboard
page?
A: Navigate to the Whiteboard page you’d like to
paste the figures into (see the directions for Displaying
a Whiteboard Page or Adding a New Whiteboard Page
below).
Q: Were will the figure be placed and how can I move it?
A: The figures on the clipboard will be placed in the center of
the Whiteboard. You can quickly move them by following the directions above
for Grouping Figures and Moving a Figure.
Moving a Figure or Figures to the Background
By default, the most recently created figures are in the foreground and overwrite
any figures they overlap. You can regroup figures by moving them to the background.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure or figures you’d
like to move to the background. (see the instructions for Selecting
Figures)
- Click the Send Figure to Background button (it looks
like an arrow pointing down on top of a rectangle and is directly above
the Whiteboard.
More Information
Q: Will the figure change its position when moving it
to the background?
A: When moving multiple figures to the foreground or background,
their relative position is unchanged.
Moving a Figure or Figures to the Foreground
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Select the figure or figures you’d
like to move to the foreground. (see the instructions for Selecting
Figures)
- Click the Send Figure to Foreground button (it looks
like an arrow pointing up on top of a rectangle and is directly above
the Whiteboard.
More Information
Q: Will the figures change its position when moving it
to the background?
A: When moving multiple figures to the foreground or background,
their relative position is unchanged.
Adding a Snapshot of the Whiteboard to an Archive
If you’d like an image of the current contents of the whiteboard to
be added to an archive, you can create a snapshot. You must be recording an
archive for this feature to be available (see the directions on Recording
an Archive below).
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Tools tab in the Whiteboard pane that appears.
- Click the Snapshot button (it looks like a camera
and is directly above the whiteboard).
- Click the OK button.
Clearing the Whiteboard
You can quickly erase all figures on the Whiteboard.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Clear Whiteboard button (it looks like
an eraser and is directly above the Whiteboard).
- Click the OK button.
More Information
Q: If I clear the Whiteboard will I delete all of them?
A: This only affects the currently displayed Whiteboard page. To
remove a Whiteboard page entirely, see the directions for Deleting a Whiteboard
Page below.
Whiteboard Pages
As you’ve probably noticed, creating a diagram with any detail on the
Whiteboard is pretty labor-intensive. Fortunately, the Whiteboard allows the
creation of multiple Whiteboard pages, which you can navigate through. These
pages remain in the Virtual Classroom even if you leave it, so you can create
a series of Whiteboard pages ahead of time (even when the collaboration session
is not available to students) and navigate through them as your collaboration
session progresses). Because you can create multiple collaboration sessions
(see the directions on Managing Collaboration Sessions for details), you can
create different sets of Whiteboard pages for different sessions, and these
will be saved until you are ready to use them. Pages are controlled through
the Controls tab of the Whiteboard tool.
Adding a Whiteboard Page
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Controls tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Add Whiteboard Page button (it looks like
a plus sign and is in the upper right hand corner of the Controls tab).
More Information
Q: After I created a new Whiteboard page, it wasn't displayed.
A: When you create a new page, the Whiteboard does not automatically
display it. Follow the directions for Displaying a Whiteboard
Page below to move to the new page to edit it). A new page will appear
on the Controls tab.
Displaying a Whiteboard Page
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Controls tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click the Display button in the controls tab.
Deleting a Whiteboard Page
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Whiteboard button in the Classroom Tool pane
(upper left).
- Click the Controls tab in the Whiteboard pane that
appears.
- Click on the page you would like to delete in the
Controls tab.
- Click the Delete Whiteboard Page button in the Controls
tab (it looks like an X and is in the upper right of the Controls tab).
- Click the OK button.
Using the Group Browser
The Group Browser lets you display web pages for your class. Unlike previous
versions of Blackboard, however, the Group Browser does not display a new page
for everyone if you click on a link—you must enter each page separately.
Displaying a Web Page
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Group Browser button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Enter the URL you wish to display in the Address field.
- Select Display to Class in the drop-down menu below
the address field.
- Click the Go! button.
Previewing a Web Page in a New Window
This feature lets you look at a website before displaying it to the class.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Group Browser button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Enter the URL you wish to display in the Address
field.
- Select Preview in New Window in the drop-down menu
below the address field.
- Click the Go button.
More Information
Q: After typing the URL, the web site didn't display to
my students.
A: A new window will appear with the URL you specified. If you’d
like to display it to the class, simply close the window, select Display
to Class in the drop-down menu, and click the Go
button again.
Using the Ask Question Tool
The Ask Question tool is designed for students to ask questions of the instructor.
These questions are stored in the Question Inbox tool and are not displayed
to all users until they are answered by the instructor. Instructors will rarely
use the Ask Question tool themselves.
Asking a Question
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Ask Question button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Send button.
Asking a Long Question
If a question is too long to fit in the Enter Question field, the Compose
button can be used instead.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Ask Question button in the Classroom Tool
pane (upper left).
- Click the Compose button in the Ask Question pane.
- Click the Send button.
More Information
Q: Where should I type the questions?
A: Enter the question in the Compose Your Question field.
Breakout Sessions
You can create a Breakout Session during a Collaboration Session. This is a
new Virtual Classroom window that can be used for a smaller group discussion.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Breakouts button.
- Select the users you want in the breakout session from
the list by checking their names.
- Click the OK button.
Ending a Collaboration Session
When you have finished a collaboration session with the Virtual Classroom tool,
you have the option of expelling all users as you close the session.
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Press the End button.
- The End Session window will appear.
- Click the OK button.
Active v. Passive Users
Depending on how your instructor has set up the Virtual Classroom, you may
not have access to all the features mentioned. Sometimes, instructors will set
users to Passive mode, which will not give you access to all the tools. If you
have been set as a Passive user, and you’d like access to more options,
you can Raise your Hand and wait to be called on by your instructor.
Raising Your Hand
If you have been set as a Passive User, you have the option to raise your
hand. The Virtual Classroom keeps track of the order in which people raised
their hands. To raise your hand
From the Virtual Classroom:
- Click the Hand icon. The hand icon is located in the
bottom right of the left pane—to the right of the Private Message
button.
More Information
Q: How will I know that the teacher can see my request?
A: A hand with a number will appear in the user information
pane, to the right of your name. This indicates to your teacher that you have
requested Active User status.
Q: How will I know when it is my turn (called on)?
A: When your teacher calls on you, the hand will disappear
and you will have Active User status. This will give you access to more of
the Virtual Classroom tools described above (exactly which ones depends on
how your instructor has set up the collaboration session).
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